Dear Anonymous

I decided to write this to you after reflecting on everything that has happened to me since last summer. In fact I spent a couple of hours at the park composing part of this letter with a pen and paper in my hand. I believe in transparency which is why I want you to know what I think about you so there are no misunderstandings between us. Furthermore I want to translate my emotions into writing and let you know how much I appreciate our friendship.

Although our personalities and behaviours are very different, I have said many times that we think alike. I am not talking about superficial matters such as sharing similar interests or tastes in music…or people for the matter, but rather that we hold the same values and principles. To me, that is an indication of a good friendship between two people. What makes you different from everyone else is not your intelligence or idiosyncrasies, but how you conduct yourself and how you treat other people around you. As proof, you once told me that the one thing you hate most about me is that I take more than I give. All I can say to you is I am sorry you think that way. Regardless this shows how much you value selflessness above other attributes.

What I like most about you is your ability to put other people ahead of yourself. That is reflected in your actions such as giving other people their preferred seats on the bus and being punctual because you respect the time other people have chosen to spend with you. I do not talk much, but you are always making sure that I feel included in the group when others purposely make it more difficult for me to join their conversations. This is only a trivial matter, but I am still touched that you have my best interests at heart.

To be honest, I do feel sad for the other people in our social circle who do not realize this. You have said it yourself that people suck yet you never bitch or rant about other people’s actions. There are some inconsiderate people in our group yet you treat them with the same high level of respect and consideration as you do everyone else even though you do not always receive the same in return. As I continue to spend time with you, I hope to follow the same example that you have set.

Meeting you has been the best thing that has happened to me since last summer (even if it was by chance after a series of unfortunate events on my end) because you help me follow my values and principles in life. When I start to forget, you are there to remind me what to live by. You did not know this before, but when I am under emotional stress, I think about you (even though you are not the reason for that stress). More specifically, I think about how you live your life and all the good that has come out of it because that motivates me to become a better person. For that, I am deeply thankful for everything you have done.